Themes by tag: Kyiv

Olena Savchenko, 33, once worked as a quality control inspector at a warehouse in Brovary, a town in Kyiv region. Her life took a dramatic turn when a russian missile destroyed her workplace, leaving her without a job. Refusing to be defeated, Olena found new purpose through The HALO Trust Ukraine, inspired by her husband, who has spent the last three years defending Ukraine in the East.

Now, Olena is part of a team dedicated to clearing her homeland of explosive remnants of war, helping make the Kyiv Oblast safer for future generations. Her efforts reflect her hope for a peaceful future, especially for her children.

For context: The HALO Trust Ukraine is the local program of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian demining organization. Active in Ukraine since 2015, the group works alongside Ukrainians to remove the deadly legacy of war.

• women
• Kyiv
• demining

On September 7, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration invites the public to visit the sites featured in its pilot project, Kyiv Region: Places of Memory. Participants will have the opportunity to explore historical landmarks tied to Ukraine’s heroic resistance and the devastation caused by russian occupation, accompanied by expert guides.

The project employs advanced technology to recreate key scenes from Kyiv’s defense against russian forces. Virtual reality installations at each location immerse visitors in the stark realities of brutal battles, widespread destruction, and the pain endured by the nation during the invasion.

The initiative aims to ensure the world remembers both the victims of the russian invasion and the resilience of Ukrainians. Organizers stress that the war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil must be acknowledged and never forgotten.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

For reference: In July, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration began training guides to work at the various sites connected to the russian-Ukrainian war as part of the Kyiv Region: Places of Memory project.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On Saturday, September 7, Kyiv will host the fourth day of the Protasiv Yar festival in memory of Roman Ratushnyi. This is the final of four festival days that have been taking place throughout the summer on the Protas meadow in Kyiv. 

Among other things, the festival program includes performances by the bands MOVA and Vivienne Mort. 

A discussion “Freedom of Speech” will also take place.

Participants: Oksana Romaniuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI); Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the Holos party and head of the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech; Danilo Mokryk, a journalist for Kyiv Independent; and Vlasta Lazur, a journalist for Radio Liberty. 

The discussion will be moderated by Sofia Cheliak, journalist and program director of the NGO Publishers’ Forum.

In addition, there will be a discussion “Ariadne’s Thread in Ukrainian Culture: From Our 1920s to the Present” and a lecture “Anger, Sarcasm, and Calm: Three States of Vasyl Stus’s Poetry”.

Journalists are welcome to find out more about the festival program. 

For reference: The Protasiv Yar Festival in memory of Roman Ratushnyi was founded last year by the NGO Protect Protasiv Yar and the Protasiv Yar community with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. This year’s festival was co-organized by the NGO Publishers’ Forum.

• culture
• Kyiv

On September 7, journalists are invited to the photo exhibition “Brave Faces”, which is part of the charity project for reconstructive facial surgery for military personnel wounded in combat, “Doctors for Heroes”. The event will be held in Kyiv.

The program includes:

– Presentation

– Social and cultural performance

For 2 weeks 24 portraits of 8 heroes will be exhibited in triptych.

The heroes of the portraits are servicemen and veterans, patients of the project “Doctors for Heroes”, who are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation after facial injuries.

The author of the portraits is Yuliia Ovsiannikova, a photographer with the Ukrainian National News Agency.

For reference: The event is organized within the framework of the project “DOCTORS FOR HEROES”, implemented by the charitable foundation Eastern Star with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, in cooperation with Ukrinform, the state enterprise Crimean House, the charitable foundation Brave Faces and IMATECH MEDICAL.

• culture
• Kyiv

Mariia Ksondzyk is the daughter of a fallen ATO veteran, she worked as a journalist before the full-scale invasion. Petro Shuklinov also worked in the media in civilian life and was mobilized into the Defense Forces in 2023. When the big war began, Mariia and Petro joined forces to volunteer, focusing primarily on providing vehicles for the military. They select, purchase, transport, repair, and deliver vehicles to the troops – a mission Mariia and Petro continue to this day. In 2023, they founded the Nesemos Fund charity and later opened a donation shop, soon followed by a service station for military vehicles. Every month, Mariia and Petro attract numerous donors and work with various foundations that help cover the cost of vehicle repairs. Currently, the Nesemos Veteran Autohub repairs between 20 and 30 military vehicles each month. The team covers repair costs up to 40,000 UAH, and if the cost exceeds this amount, they seek additional supporters to fund the work of the Autohub. Besides, Mariia and Petro decided to open a civilian vehicle repair shop to get additional funding. The service station also operates as a veterans’ center, focusing on the professional adaptation of veterans, so that they can acquire new skills and a civilian profession. The civilian repair shop is scheduled to open this fall. Looking ahead, Mariia and Petro plan to expand their business by opening new repair stations not only in the capital, but across Ukraine, with veterans at the helm.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On September 5, a modular house will be unveiled in the Kyiv region, providing a new home for a big family from Kherson who fled the occupation. Dobrobat, a volunteer construction battalion, invites journalists to witness the near-completion of this significant project.

Ms. Olha, a 70-year-old teacher, escaped the war-torn region with her five adopted children. Dobrobat volunteers took on the task of building a new home for them. The family, who lost everything in the conflict, is now preparing to move into the half-installed modular house.

The event will feature both the volunteers and the family, offering a chance to hear their stories and see the completed work. Olha’s husband is seriously ill, and with her brother’s help, she managed to secure land in the Kyiv region where this new chapter begins.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Save Ukraine, a charitable organization, in collaboration with the ICF “Contribution to Medicine Development”, has launched a new initiative called the Medical Bus. This social project aims to provide residents of remote Ukrainian communities, where access to doctors is limited, with essential medical services.

The Medical Bus, a large vehicle converted into a mobile clinic by German partners, is fully equipped to offer preventive exams and medical care on the go. Patients can consult with specialized doctors, receive free glasses, undergo ultrasounds, and have their blood sugar levels checked, among other services. 

Recently, the mobile clinic visited the village of Lukashi in Kyiv Oblast, where many residents had their first doctor’s visit in years. 

The Medical Bus will continue its operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, delivering much-needed healthcare to those who need it most.

• doctors
• Chernihiv
• Kyiv

On September 6, as part of the traditional “Film Screenings at Protas”, a documentary about the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade will be screened in Kyiv. 

Before the screening there will be a meeting with members of the film crew: director Lyubomyr Levytsky and executive producer Dmytro Nikiforov.

The documentary We Were Recruits shows war stories through the eyes of its protagonists. It is not a simple catalog of events, but a deep insight into the nature of war, its impact on individuals, nations and society.

The documentary is presented in an artistic form that allows viewers to immerse themselves in the events, feel the emotions, and experience the pain and hope of the characters.

Admission to the screening is free. During the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to a fundraising effort in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Journalists must be accredited for the event. 

Background: “Film screenings at Protas” continue the tradition initiated by Roman Ratushnyi. He was an activist, a leader who united and rallied the local community in the fight for the Green Zone of Kyiv’s historic Protasiv Yar area. He fought as a scout in the 93rd Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar” and was killed in action on June 8, 2022.

• culture
• Kyiv

On September 3, a briefing for the organizers and participants of the Second KyivBookFest will take place at the Media Center Ukraine.

Running from September 5 to 8, the KyivBookFest will return for its second edition, featuring a large-scale book fair and a branch forum. Over 100 publishers are set to participate, with the festival offering more than 150 events throughout its duration.

The festival also includes a charitable initiative, aiming to raise UAH 1.5 million for the Army Reading Program of the Ukrainian Reformation Community. These funds will be used to purchase approximately 7,000 books for libraries in military educational institutions.

Participants:

– Vladyslav Kyrychenko, Owner of Nash Format Publishing House, Organizer of KyivBookFest;

– Anna Bondarchuk, Executive Director of the NGO Reformation;

– Anatolii Symovoniuk, Serviceman, Major, Representative of the NGO Reformation;

– Serhii Kruhlov, Deputy Head of the Kyiv Institute of the National Guard of Ukraine for Personnel Management, Col.

During the briefing, participants will highlight what makes this year’s festival special, provide an overview of the program, and introduce the event’s notable guests.

• culture
• Kyiv

An innovative program is bringing adaptive wakeboarding to soldiers with various injuries and amputations in Kyiv. The initiative, “Wake Accessible,” is part of the ONE TEAM FORCES public organization’s efforts to demonstrate that even extreme sports can be accessible to those recovering from significant injuries. The program aims to help military veterans test their limits and rebuild their confidence and physical self-assurance.

Training sessions are held weekly and involve defenders who have lost one or more limbs. The project has been active for two months and has engaged approximately ten participants so far.

Journalists interested in covering these sessions can arrange to observe the classes in Kyiv.

For context: ONE TEAM FORCES supports combatants who served BEFORE and AFTER February 24, 2022, and who have experienced injuries or psychological trauma due to russia’s armed aggression.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv